Toyohiko Kagawa

Toyohiko Kagawa (10 July 1888-23 April 1960) was a Japanese Christian pacifist, reformer, and labor activist.

Biography
Toyohiko Kagawa was born in Kobe, Japan on 10 July 1888. As a child, Kagawa lost both his parents and home. At middle school he was baptized a Christian, and went on to study theology at Meiji University. Despite suffering from tuberculosis, Kagawa decided to devote his life to being a missionary in Kobe's slums. Kagawa's social work included involvement in labor and tenant disputes throughout Japan. His outspoken behavior and links with the United States prompted the suspicions of the authorities who arrested him, although he was released shortly afterwards at the request of a prominent member of the government in 1926. After World War II, Kagawa participated in the formation of the Japan Socialist Party and he remained a prominent figure within the party. Kagawa also produced a number of books during his career, including the novel Before the Dawn in 1924, which proved to be a best seller.